Tanworth-in-Arden CofE Primary School

Tanworth-in-Arden CofE Primary School and Nursery The Green, Tanworth-in-Arden, Solihull, B94 5AJ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make outstanding progress. They start school with standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are at or above those expected for their age. They go on to leave the school with standards that are higher than the national average.  Children in Early Years make excellent progress because they are developing highly effective learning habits, such as staying on task, listening attentively and working together in groups.  Excellent teamwork of all staff and governors, together with a continual drive to offer pupils an outstanding quality of education, have resulted in pupils’ high self-esteem.  Teachers make sure that work is well matched to pupils’ capabilities, enabling them to gain skills, knowledge and understanding rapidly.  Teaching is outstanding and support staff make a valuable contribution to the learning of disabled pupils and those disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium, resulting in excellent progress

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

for all.  Teachers check very carefully how well pupils are learning in lessons. Any misconceptions are picked up quickly through thorough marking.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are polite, caring and have a strong sense of right and wrong.  Pupils read widely and often. They enjoy reading but have only a small amount of books available for them to read in classrooms and there is no school library.  The headteacher has relentlessly focused upon developing teaching and staff performance and these are very effectively managed. Staff are provided with excellent professional development opportunities and this helps to improve their effectiveness.  Governors play a very strong part in leading the school and checking that other leaders and managers are doing all they can to improve pupils’ education. Leaders and governors have also ensured that the school maintained high standards since it became an academy.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed parts of 11 lessons, including two shared observations with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors listened to several pupils read and looked at samples of their recent work.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, teachers, members of the governing body and the School Improvement Partner. Discussions also took place with groups of pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised a variety of school documents, including: the school’s self-evaluation; the school development plan; behaviour records; governing body documents; and documents relating to the management of teachers’ performance.  The views of the 73 parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account along with letters from parents. Inspectors also considered the views expressed in 21 questionnaires returned by school staff.

p.2

Inspection team

Steven Cartlidge, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is slightly larger than the average-sized primary school.  Tanworth-in-Arden CofE Primary School and Nursery converted to become an academy school in November 2012. When its predecessor school, the school has not altered its name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average, and there are no pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  An average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium. This is extra funding from the government for pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals.

p.3

Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The school is giving guidance and support to other senior leaders and schools.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the school’s resources to give pupils more opportunities to read a broader range of fiction and non-fiction books, newspapers and magazines.

p.3

The leadership and management are outstanding

 Teachers and governors are ambitious for the school to do well. The headteacher provides very determined leadership, promoting a clear focus on continual improvement. She drives school improvement, with a clearly articulated vision for the future. The school also makes an effective contribution to improving the performance of another school in Birmingham by sharing highly skilled practitioners contributing advice on best practice.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 Since the academy opened, the leadership team has established rigorous procedures to check on the quality of teaching and provide support for any staff identified as underperforming. As a result, standards have risen in, for example, mathematics.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 Accurate analysis of pupils’ progress provides all teachers, and the governing body, with a clear understanding of the school’s performance. This information ensures that improvement planning is sharply focused on identified weaknesses. The benefit can be seen, for example, in the successful action taken last year to raise attainment in mathematics, and demonstrates the school’s capacity for continued improvement.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher, together with governors, produced robust performance management systems to hold staff to account for the standards that pupils attain. The school improvement plan highlights all the correct issues for improvement and is linked to the continuous professional development of staff. The headteacher and governing body ensure that targets are linked to salary progression and that teachers are evaluated according to the Teachers’ Standards.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school has developed its preferred approach to assessment and is on its way to implementation. A scrutiny of pupils’ work and its assessment by teachers in both Key Stage 1 and 2 demonstrated pupils’ understanding of how well they had achieved and what they needed to do to improve.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The range of subjects and activities is exceptionally well planned. The range of subjects and topics covered in all years recognises local, regional and global differences, including different cultures and beliefs, and it promotes an understanding of others’ point of view Planning promotes fundamental British values around democracy, liberty, and respect and tolerance of faiths and beliefs. Information about what is taught in the school is published on the school website and meets statutory requirements.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The leadership of teaching is outstanding and the school places a high priority on improving teaching through high-quality training. Teachers’ performance is checked and information is used from lesson observations, and from information about pupils’ progress, to set teachers targets for improvement.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively and has helped develop the role of the teaching assistants. Pupils identified as in need of additional support, including those eligible for pupil premium funding and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, are well supported. The school evaluates its expenditure on the support provided through data showing how well pupils achieve, which show that all groups are making similarly rapid progress to that of their classmates.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 School leaders ensure that different groups of pupils have an equal chance to succeed, and they tackle effectively any instances of discrimination.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school has drawn up and implemented an impressive set of actions to make use of the primary sports funding. Several members of staff are now trained specialist physical education teachers or coaches who provide extra opportunities to all pupils in the school to participate in physical education clubs, both after school and at weekends. Pupils’ participation and confidence have increased because the school now organises more competitions with neighbouring schools and inter-house events for pupils in Years 2 to 6.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school commissions the support it needs very effectively. For example, the School Improvement Partner, an independent consultant, has provided well-targeted support for school leaders. Subject leaders are well supported in developing their leadership and management skills.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very well informed. It challenges school leaders and holds them to account for pupils’ achievement. By using the data available, it compares school performance with that of schools nationally. Governors also strongly support the school and its leaders. They have a deep insight into the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning. They manage the performance of staff effectively and are rigorous in ensuring that the salary progression of staff is justified by the outcome of pupils’ progress and achievement. They also have an understanding of new National Curriculum requirements,

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

including the rigour needed for assessment processes and ensuring that the curriculum promotes tolerance and respect and prepares young people positively for life in modern Britain. Governors check carefully on the use of the pupil premium funding in improving the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. The governing body oversees the management of finance and resources expertly. Governors rigorously check safeguarding practice and, as a result, safeguarding procedures meet current legal requirements.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils have a very positive attitude to learning and they work exceptionally hard in lessons. They quickly learn to work on their own initiative, choosing the resources they need to help them from the wide range that is availble in each classroom.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Parents rightly feel that pupils are very secure in school. The pupils themselves feel very safe and have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe. By Year 4, pupils are exceptionally knowledgeable about the dangers of cyber- bullying and understand the importance of not sharing personal details online.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils look up to their staff. They respond immediately to instructions and are very respectful, both towards staff and visitors. Pupils’ manners are exemplary.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The care shown for pupils is outstanding, enabling them to feel extremely happy and safe in school. Parents are happy with the school as shown in their very positive response to the online Parent View survey.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school understands the need to work hard to promote regular attendance and there has been an improvement in the last year to take attendance above the national average. The school never authorises holidays in term time and is in the process of considering prosecutions for absence. Levels of pupils’ punctuality are good.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 When asked about behaviour and safety, pupils were clear about the firm and fair use of rewards and sanctions. They said that any incidents of bullying are exceptionally rare but, if they do occur, they are dealt with promptly. School records support this. School rules, expectations and values underpin a very positive atmosphere for learning and there have been no permanent or fixed-term exclusions in the last year.

p.5

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers mark pupils’ books frequently and with a high degree of accuracy. Each piece of work is praised where the pupil has done well, but teachers also point out exactly what the pupil needs to do to improve it. Pupils respond exceptionally well to the guidance and make rapid progress as a result .

p.6

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. Teachers are successful in motivating pupils, including the most able. They provide a range of tasks that encourage pupils to want to succeed. Pupils are also keen to live up to the expectations of the adults around them and their positive attitudes to learning contribute much to their outstanding progress. This was particularly noticeable, for example, in a mathematics lesson, where pupils in Year 5 had the opportunity to practise their numeracy skills. The pupils demonstrated outstanding understanding of the skills needed to multiply two, three and higher digit numbers quickly and accurately. The pupils were able to show a clear understanding of the strategies needed to develop their work to reach the highest level. Homework is linked effectively to what pupils learn in lessons.

p.6

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The guidance that pupils receive in lessons is equally as good as that which they receive in their books. Teaching assistants are adept at quickly identifying any who are struggling, and then questioning the pupils so that they think through the task for themselves. Teachers quickly challenge imprecise answers. For example, pupils in Year 2 were challenged to describe the feel and texture of different materials from inside ‘a feely bag’. Some pupils were unable to describe the materials and simply explained what the object was. The teacher relentlessly challenged the pupils to think about the texture and how it felt, until all in the room were able to understand and carry out the task.

p.6

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive high-quality support in lessons. Teachers and teaching assistants work together effectively and help is matched well to pupils’ specific learning needs. This close coordination among staff ensures that the pupils make good or better progress in all subjects.

p.6

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Reading is encouraged in lessons and pupils choose from a small number of books situated in reading corners in classrooms. The school does not have a central resource area such as a library and there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to access a wider range of reading materials in school to provide further challenge for pupils to experience.

p.6

The achievement of pupils

 Pupils typically start the school with attainment at or above national averages. They make outstanding progress and their attainment, including that of the most able, means pupils leave school approximately nine months ahead of pupils nationally in English and mathematics. The school’s information is based on accurate internal assessments of how well pupils are doing.

p.6

The achievement of pupils

 The most-able pupils achieve well because the school identifies them early, provides additional challenge and support and sets high expectations for what they can achieve .

p.6

The achievement of pupils

 Results of the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 were high in 2014, showing a marked improvement on the previous year, when they were only slightly above average. This is due to the school investigating thoroughly the way pupils are taught to read in Year 1, which had a very positive impact upon attainment.

p.6

The achievement of pupils

 Since becoming an academy, standards at the end of Year 2 have been above average. Reading books are very well matched to pupils’ abilities, so pupils are continually learning how to read new words as they are moved from one book to the next.

p.6

The achievement of pupils

 Mathematics was a particular focus for all of the school last year. As a result, 2014 Key Stage 1 results improved upon the previous year, and, at Key Stage 2, pupils’ results were considerably higher at both expected and higher than expected levels.  Very few pupils have special educational needs that require support through school action. This is because pupils receive support that is tailored to them as individuals, so none fall behind. Disabled pupils and those supported at school action plus make progress equally as rapidly as their classmates and leave with high attainment. The school works with outside agencies and is very quick to act when an individual pupil needs support that cannot be provided from within school.

p.6

The achievement of pupils

 Leaders have used the pupil premium funding very well to provide extra one-to-one support for disadvantaged pupils where it is needed. The numbers of eligible pupils are too small to comment on any differences in attainment at the end of Year 6 without identifying individuals. However, in all years and subjects, they make the same outstanding progress as their classmates.

p.7

The early years provision

 Children make rapid and sustained progress through Nursery and Reception. Children start with levels expected for their age. As a result of very strong teaching and well-ordered, planned and structured areas for learning, both inside and outside, children make rapid progress. By the time they leave Reception, children are very well prepared for their start in Year 1. The most able do well, which is reflected in the very high proportions achieving the higher standards.

p.7

The early years provision

 Outstanding teaching in the Early Years results in the children making excellent progress. All adults in Nursery and Reception work together to create a strong and effective team. Teachers and children are constantly talking together, and when adults talk to each other they constantly model their language for the children. There is also an excellent partnership with parents, who are encouraged to spend some time with their child at the start of a session. This helps parents support their children’s learning at home.

p.7

The early years provision

 Most children are confident and chatty young learners who are keen to find things out and to do well. This was well illustrated when children were investigating the size of objects. They had to explore both indoor and outdoor environments, using magnifying glasses, to seek objects that were below a specific size and which would fit into a box. They approached this task with great enthusiasm and skill, demonstrating an understanding of different sizes and shapes. There was also a subsidiary focus in the lesson concerning caring for the environment, as the children were not allowed to pick leaves off trees but could lift them off the ground.

p.7

The early years provision

 The number of disabled children and those with special educational needs is small. Their specific needs are identified quickly in order for these children to make similar outstanding progress as their classmates.

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 138909 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 448882

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 215 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patricia Saunders Headteacher Beverley Hartigan Date of previous school inspection N/A Telephone number 01564 742284 Fax number 01564 741816 Email address tanworthschool@welearn365.com guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

p.10

School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10

School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

p.10

School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10